A mum has revealed how she went without food during the summer months - so her children could eat.

A working mum-of-five from Belfast has explained how her family struggled to make ends meet during the school holidays, Belfast Live reports.

Chele , whose eldest child has ADHD with autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia and an eating disorder, said: "The summer holidays put us under considerable financial strain, because we’ve got to feed five children who usually have free school meals and find activities for them to do.

"In the winter we prepare full fresh meals, casseroles, pots of stews, but over the summer we just can’t afford to, so they have to eat lower quality food like pizza and frozen chips because it’s cheap.

"Dylan, our eldest has complex issues with food, so even though he’s a large child who is definitely well fed, he might take extra food from the cupboards and hide it for eating.

"Due to his condition, he will take food that’s unsuitable, such as raw meat, and try and eat it, which means it gets wasted. We’ll take the shopping to our bedroom at night to stop him doing this, or shop every day for fresh food- but that can be more expensive. "

Chele added: "At times this summer, there wasn’t enough to go around, so I had a bowl of cereal in place of a meal for dinner so the children didn’t go without.

"We receive Disability Living Allowance and Carer’s Allowance, but money is still very tight.

"You make the best of things whatever your children’s needs are, but the summer holidays are a lot harder for families raising disabled children than people might realise.”